Related videos:
Zohran Mamdani, the young state assembly member who made history by becoming the first Muslim to receive the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York, stated that if he assumes the position, his priority will be to protect the immigrant community from potential raids and repressive policies.
In an interview with Telemundo, the 33-year-old politician of Ugandan and Indian descent warned that it is “inevitable” that Trump will attempt to deploy the National Guard in New York to pursue undocumented immigrants, but he emphasized that he does not see them as outsiders, but as an essential part of the city's fabric.
“We continue to speak of New Yorkers when we talk about immigrants in our city,” he emphasized, as reported by Damián Bonmatí.
Mamdani said he would be proud to be “the first immigrant mayor of the city in generations”. During the campaign, he went viral for releasing a video entirely in Spanish, despite acknowledging that he barely speaks it.
“This is something that many immigrants have in common”, he said with laughter. He explained that he agreed to record it because it was the “grandmothers” of supporters who asked him to and promised to repeat the experience before the elections.
The candidate also confessed that threats against him have increased since the assassination of an activist in the city, which forced his team to enhance security measures. Nevertheless, he affirmed that he will continue with a message that combines social justice and closeness to the Latin communities.
His perspective on Cuba and Venezuela
One of the most sensitive points in the interview came when he was asked whether he considers Cuba and Venezuela authoritarian regimes.
In the past, Mamdani had avoided giving a clear answer, but now he was unequivocal:
“My criticism and my description stem from the incarceration of political dissenters, the repression of a free press, and what we see in so many people where dignity is increasingly absent from their lives”, he said to Telemundo.
With this statement, the democratic socialist distanced himself from governments like the Cuban one, while also seeking to connect with Latino voters, including a large Cuban community that closely follows local and national politics in the United States.
A contest with a Latin flavor
The race for the mayoralty of New York has a pronounced immigrant accent. While Mamdani leads the polls with progressive proposals that include free public transportation and a rent freeze, one of his main rivals is Cuban-American businessman Joseph Hernández, who launched his independent candidacy promising “order and security” and warning against the “advance of communism”.
The duel between them reflects not only the diversity of New York but also the clash of visions that mobilizes millions of immigrants, including the Cuban diaspora, which closely observes how issues of immigration, social justice, and Cuba are at the forefront of the electoral campaign in the largest city in the United States.
Filed under: